National Coffee Day on 9/29: Freebies and the top 10 American cafes

Celebrate National Coffee Day on Sunday with freebies and discounts on… (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times )

Sunday is National Coffee Day, which means purveyors of joe around the country are offering scads of deals and discounts on what is arguably America’s favorite drink.

But first, some background on the beverage. Nearly 85% of American adults drink it, according to the National Coffee Assn. Friday is the most popular day for coffee in the U.S., according to Foursquare.

The location-based social networking app found that 8 a.m. is the busiest time to get a caffeine buzz during the week. On the weekends, that time slips to 10 a.m. in the U.S. (globally it's 3 p.m.).

Foursquare also consulted user check-ins to suss out the 10 most popular coffee shops nationwide. Café Du Monde in New Orleans, also known for its beignets, came out on top, followed by the NoHo location of La Colombe Torrefaction in New York.

New York’s Stumptown Coffee Roasters was third. The Big Apple had another stop on the list with the Flatiron's Birch Coffee coming in eighth.

San Francisco coffee houses Sightglass, Four Barrel and Blue Bottle were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. The Starbucks in Pike Place in Seattle was next.

Irvine’s 85 Degrees C Bakery Cafe was ninth, while the Millennium Park location of Intelligentsia Coffee in Chicago rounded out the list.

But there are countless other coffee purveyors nationwide, and many of them are ringing in National Coffee Day with freebies and bargains.

Starbucks’ celebration will focus on Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, by giving visitors a free taste of the chain’s whole-bean, medium roast Ethiopia coffee. Those who buy a $13.95 1-pound bag of the coffee will get a free commemorative tasting cup.

Krispy Kreme retail shops will serve up free 12-oz. cups of coffee on the 29th. At Dunkin' Donuts, show the National Coffee Day page on the "My Offers" tab of the chain's mobile app for iPhone and Android to get a free small hot or iced coffee.

Peet’s Coffee & Tea is giving away a free small Maple Latte on Sunday with the purchase of any baked good or Simply Oatmeal product. On Saturday and Sunday, the chain is also offering free shipping on online orders of $40 or more.

The company is also giving customers the chance to win a free trip to its roasting plant in the San Francisco Bay Area and a tour of the original store in Berkeley.

Widener University in Pennsylvania, which claims to be the only university with its own coffee brand, said it will send a free WU Brew burlap bag along with all online orders for the school’s Costa Rican coffee from Sunday through Oct. 5.

USA Coffee Co. will add a free 8-oz. bag of its Hawaiian-grown Union Roast coffee with any coffee purchase made starting at midnight Sunday. The code for the deal is COFFEE DAY.